Stroman's 'Double Feature' to Return to New York City Ballet in February

Robert Simonson, Playbill On-Line

Broadway director-choreographer Susan Stroman's first ballet, Double Feature, a hit when it had its premiere at the hands of the New York City Ballet on Jan. 23, will be revived by that company this coming February, Stroman told Playbill On-Line. <a href=http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/playbill/20040826/en_playbill/88090 target=_blank>more</a>

An appearance by NYCB dancers in Connecticut, as per the NYCB website:

Quote:

A NIGHT OF BALLET STARS Has it been too long since you’ve seen some extraordinary ballet? Can’t wait for November 23 when NYCB begins the Winter 2004/05 season? There is an antidote. On Saturday, October 30, 2004 at 7:30pm at New Haven’s Shubert Theater nine New York City Ballet Principal Dancers—Albert Evans, James Fayette, Darci Kistler, Maria Kowroski, Philip Neal, Jenifer Ringer, Jock Soto, Miranda Weese and Wendy Whelan will perform a one-night-only benefit for The Kathleen A. Sullivan Fund. The brilliant program will include Barber Violin Concerto (Barber/Martins), Herman Schmerman (Willems/Forsythe), Valse Triste (Sibelius/Martins) and excerpts from Mozartiana (Tschaikovsky/ Balanchine) and Who Cares? (Gershwin/ Balanchine). Benefit ticket prices range from $150 (Gold Tickets) to $60 (Select Seats). “Gold Ticket-holders” are invited to a post-performance silent auction and gala reception to meet the dancers, Connecticut Senators Christopher Dodd & Joseph Lieberman and the leadership of the Fund. For specifics on the performance, or to order tickets online or to learn more about The Kathleen A. Sullivan Fund, go to www.kasfund.com. There’s no need to be ballet-free any longer! We hope to see you in New Haven on October 30.

This isn't about the winter season, but the NY Times reports that Nilas Martins & his group of NYCB dancers were denied visas to take part in the International Festival of Ballet in Havana.

Not to get into politics, but this kind of visa refusal is beyond ridiculous, and since other US dancers apparently will be attending, there must be some other issue involved.

The other 19+ other countries have no problem allowing their dancers to visit Cuba, and the US regularly allows other dancers and the national fencing team to go to Havana for competitions and performances. So it seems just odd that this request was turned down, and turned down repeatedly. Not to mention that it's almost comical that the refusal came from the Treasury Department.

It seems very hypocritical to welcome Cuban dancers to live and dance here, but then to forbid our own dancers from performing in Cuba. If art can't bring the world together, than nothing can.

On a side note, Martins must now be an American citizen, as I belive he wouldn't have this kind of problem travelling on a Danish passport.

Casting for the opening gala and the first few 'Nutcrackers' has been posted. The gala has no new ballets, except the NYCB debut of Martins' 'Octet', which was originally choreographed for the Royal Danish Ballet last year. The opening night cast at the Royal Theatre included Andrew Bowman, Silja Schandorff, Kristoffer Sakurai and Yao Wei. Based on my knowledge of both the RDB and NYCB dancers, I would guess that Hanna and Kistler will be dancing thr roles originated by Bowman and Schandorff, while Hanna and Bouder will take on the other two principal roles.

BROADCAST ALERT: THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE New York City Ballet will again be featured in the annual Macy’s Day Parade on Thursday, November 25. NYCB Soloists Megan Fairchild and Tom Gold and students from the School of American Ballet will appear on the “Angelina Ballerina” float and perform an excerpt from George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™. In the New York City metropolitan area, the parade will be broadcast on WNBC (Channel 4) from 9:00am until Noon (EST). Check local guides for channel and times in your area. The Macy’s Day Parade is typically seen by 45 million viewers worldwide.

LINCOLN CENTER TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY The public is invited to join Lincoln Center for the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Lincoln Center Plaza on Monday, November 29 beginning at 5:30pm. Representatives from all Lincoln Center constituents, including NYCB, will be participating. This year’s event will be bigger and better than ever. Please be with us for this free, festive start to the holiday season. The ceremony will be broadcast throughout the New York City metropolitan area on WABC (Channel 7) beginning at 5:30pm (EST)

Mention of Peter Boal's last performance with the NYCB in Lawrence Van Gelder's 'Art, Briefly' column in the New York Times:

Quote:

Dancing Into New Shoes

Peter Boal, right, a longtime leading dancer with the New York City Ballet, has been named artistic director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, effective July 1. Mr. Boal's final performance with City Ballet, which he joined in 1983, will take place on June 5 at the New York State Theater, in a gala tribute to him.

It is gratifying to read (above) that Jennifer Dunning (who contributed the item on Mr. Boal) considers PNB to be a "major American ballet troupe, both artistically and in terms of its performance schedule and repertory."

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